HC Deb 16 June 1947 vol 438 cc170-3W
Mr. Lennox-Boyd

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a comprehensive statement as to the quantity and value of goods bought in bulk from overseas by various Government Departments during 1946, together with a statement of the respective deliveries.

The Prime Minister,

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 23rd May, 1947; Vol. 437, c. 305], supplied the following statement:

2. METALS BOUGHT IN BULK FROM OVERSEAS BY THE MINISTRY OF SUPPLY DURING 1940.
Material. Quantity purchased. Value (f.o.b. unless otherwise stated). Quantity delivered to United Kingdom in 1946 Value (c.i.f. unless otherwise stated) Remarks
Tons. £ Tons. £
Chrome ore 78,150 335,000 69,648 599,504
Molybdenite concentrates. 168 65,100 (molybdenum content f.a.s.) 150 60,200 Orders placed in 1946
467 183,736 Orders placed in 1945—delivered 1946.
Tungsten Ore — — 2,700 870,166 Various wartime contracts expired in 1946 and were not renewed. Deliveries represent only end term quantities
Lead 151,500 7,350,000 157,000 7,201,000
Zinc 76,250 3,785,000 55,000 2,812,000 No purchases in first quarter.
Copper (blister and electrolytic). 309,400 (a) 22,580,000 (b) (f.o.b. and c.i.f.) 297,200 (c) 20,573,000(d) (a) excluding tonnages returned from toll refining overseas of Ministry copper scrap as blister copper.
(b) value of contracts (some expressed as f.o.b., some as c.i.f. price).
(c) arrivals in United Kingdom.
Tin ore (tin content) 12,100 (e) 4,188,000 (b) 11,600 (c) 3,782,000(d)
(d) c.i.f. values.
(e) excludes tonnages of tin ore bought and imported on private account although the metal produced in the United Kingdom from such purchases is taken over by the Ministry. Excludes also purchases of tin metal and tin ore in Malaya by the Ministry (total 13,360 tons tin content in 1946 value £4,450,000) not brought to United Kingdom.
Virgin aluminium. 38,974 2,500,241 79,623 6,262,360 Deliveries in 1946 in eluded metal off previous contracts for which full payment had been made in 1945
Pig iron 2,000 23,000 11,800 40,905 (f.o.b.) Balance of delivery of purchases made before 1946.
2,000 23,000 (f.o.b.)
Steel 939,080 11,543,309 412,780 5,059,148 (f.o.b.)

3. COMMODITIES BOUGHT IN BULK FROM OVERSEAS BY THE MINISTRY OF FOOD DURING 1946
— Cash paid for imports during the calendar year 1946. Goods received during the calendar year 1946.
Quantity. Value (d). Quantity. Value (d).
Tons 000's. £'000s. Tons 000's. £'000s.
Fruits and Vegetables (a) 1,208.6 74,567 1,057.8 69,501
Fish (b) 93.8 12,453 91.0 11,938
Meat and Bacon (c) 1,348.6 134,938 1,353.4 137,061
Tea, Coffee and Cocoa 358.5 47,412 335.1 44,316
Cereals, Pulses, Starch and Animal Feedingstuffs. 4,715.7 99,366 4,546.0 95,741
Sugar and Glucose 1,498.6 36,037 1,471.0 36,933
Milk Products, Eggs and Edible Oils 2,078.4 170,132 2,075.5 163,147
11,302.2 574,905 10,929.8 558,637
(a) Including canned fruit, dried fruit and edible nuts and fruit juices.
(b) Including canned fish.
(c) Including canned meat, poultry and rabbits.
(d) Landed cost excluding duty.